>> welcome to the "journal" coming to you live from dw here in berlin. >> here's what's coming up on the show -- doctors report signs of slight improvement in formula one legend michael schumacher's condition. >> israel releases 26 palestinian prisoners as the u.s. readies another push on peace talks. >> celebrations kickoff as the world starts to ring in 2014.

>> he's a man who has overcome the odds many times in his life, and now there are at least tentative signs that michael schumacher may be doing it again. >> doctors say that the retired formula one champion is showing some slight improvement following a brain injury. they are still monitoring his condition closely. the next few hours will be critical. >> our correspondent is in france where he's being treated. we will get the latest from her fter this report. >> michael schumacher has undergone further surgery as doctors tried to save his life. the motor racing legend's condition is more controlled now, but it is still too early to say what will happen. >> late in the evening, a new brain scan was carried out after a temporary improvement in the situation. it made it possible for us to offer a new operation to the family -- to drain a hematoma, and to reduce pressure on the brain. the operation took place

overnight. a new scan was done this morning. there are neurological signs indicating a slight improvement. >> but the doctors also confirmed he is still being kept in an induced coma. >> we have the situation under better control than we did yesterday. we cannot say that he is out of danger, but we have gained some time. >> just to say it again, the coming hours are crucial, and we cannot say that his life is no longer in danger. >> many have wished the racer a swift recovery, including a spokesman for german chancellor angela merkel. >> we hope for michael schumacher and his family that he will make it old recovery. -- he will make a full recovery. we ishares child, and relatives strength at this time.

>> formula one's most successful driver is an experienced gear. he was skiing off course when he fell and hit his head on a rock. he was wearing a helmet at the time. doctors say without that, he would almost certainly be dead. >> for more, let's bring in karen, who is standing by for us in grenoble. you were at the press conference. what else did the doctors say? >> first of all, doctors seemed to be very tense, but less tense and yesterday. as they said, they are not optimistic, but less worried than yesterday. they found out that the situation was surprisingly better than they thought. that's why they could do the operation and remove a huge him and, on the left side of the brain, but they also said they are -- there are still bleedings , and the situation remains critical. they said they can only work hour by hour, and that one hour it is better and another it is worse, and that's the reason why

they cannot give the forecast beyond the moment. what works in favor is that before the accident, he wasn't very good physical shape. >> what seems to be the biggest concern? >> the biggest concern is still the pressure on the brain that was caused by the injuries. the two operations helped ease pressure, but they still have to keep them in an induced coma, and they also have to lower his body temperature. >> air has been so much of an outpouring of support for schumacher -- and there has been so much of an outpouring of support. is that present at the hospital as well? >>the hospital is surrounded by tv vans, by cameramen, by reporters from all over the world. there is an immense media interest, and the doctor, who was a friend of the schumacher family, said he appreciates all the good wishes and all the interest, but he also asked to be considerate because he said the doctors need to work in

peace and that the family, who is in shock, needs to be protected. that also explains the restrictive media policy. they said after this press conference, there will be only written statements unless there is a significant change of the situation. >> thank you very much for the update. >> of course, we will keep you updated on schumacher's condition when we get any news on it, but for now, let's move onto some other stories. the united aids has offered closer cooperation with russia on security in the run-up to the winter olympic games in sochi this february. >> the offer comes after two bomb attacks 700 kilometers away the killed 30 people. a trolley bus was attacked yesterday, and the railway station on sunday. russia blames islamist militants from the north caucasus. one militant group has vowed to disrupt the olympics. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry will make his way to the middle east this week to continue peace efforts there.

>> today, israel released 26 palestinian prisoners as part of the arrangements to get those talks started. >> the release has only further highlighted the immense challenges before a deal can be reached. >> palestinians celebrated as prisoners released by israel arrived early on tuesday in ramallah in the west bank. most of this group spent 20 years in jail, many for murder. the palestinian president welcomed them and made a promise . >> we will not sign a final peace deal with israel until all the prisoners are released. >> almost 5000 palestinians are in israeli prisons. those freed today are among the 104 israel agreed to release as a confidence-building measure in the confidence of her nude peace talks. the israeli government is dismayed at the hero's welcome the men received. >> last night, we saw the palestinian authority glorifying

terrorists, glorifying individuals who are guilty of terrible crimes, of killing innocent civilians, children. >> the peace talks revived this summer by u.s. secretary of state john kerry have since stalled. one reason is palestinian anger at israel's plans to build more home for settlers in the west bank and east jerusalem. john kerry is due in jerusalem for more talks on new year's day, to press both sides to agree a framework peace deal. >> myanmar has freed five political prisoners and called off the trials of 200 activists. >> a crowd welcomed two of the five freed on tuesday. more releases are expected next week. after half a century of military role, myanmar has had a civilian government since 2011, which is him lamenting democratic

reforms. the opposition leader says her party will run in elections in 2015, even if the constitution is not amended to allow her to run for president. >> well, today was meant to be the day when syria gave up control of its deadly chemical weapons, but officials say it will miss the deadline. >> the deadline was set as part of an international deal for syria to completely abandon weapons after a deadly chemicals attack on civilians in august. >> officials managing the complex operation say the delay has been caused by a range of actors. they insist that significant progress is being made. >> this norwegian frigate has been carrying out training exercises of cyprus, but has returned to port. its task will be to escort a cargo of chemical weapons materials for destruction abroad . the u.n.-backed mission is set to miss today's deadline to remove the most critical materials from syria. >> we are fully mission capable,

and we are ready to commence operations when we are given the go-ahead to proceed in this area. >> the and the united nations say security concerns and technical difficulties are responsible or the delay. for the syrian leader, still having chemical weapons in the country may be a useful bargaining chip. he rarely makes public appearances these days, but state television showed him leading a delegation of muslim scholars monday in damascus. >> unicef says that there are unprecedented levels of violence being committed against children in the central african republic. >> at least 16 children have been killed, two of which were beheaded, according to the agency. there has been intense fighting between christians and muslims in the country over the past three weeks. >> for many, the only solution has been to flee. >> deborah is 10 days old, born into a country in turmoil.

her mother was in the late stages of pregnancy when she fled the ironing in the central african republic. she walked five kilometers to the international airport and found shelter, but no relief to hardship. >> there's hardly anything to eat. i get something once a day if at all, and if i do not eat, i do not have milk to breast-feed. >> more than 40,000 refugees are now camped on the airport compound under atrocious conditions. there's insufficient sanitation and very few tents. most people are sleeping on the ground, exposed to the harsh sun, with only a few scattered lanes for shade. this six-year-old has malaria, but there is often no clean water for him to drink. his grandmother has only her face to turn to. >> we don't have any medicine. i'm catholic, so now i can only pray for my grandson.

i have given him rosary beads and hope god will heal him. >> united nations organizations are desperately trying to deliver much-needed aid. or these people at the airport, that help needs to arrive fast. >> in argentina, a major heat wave is wreaking havoc on power services. >> many residents have been sitting in the dark for up to a week, and anger at private utility companies is wanting. >> many people believe the firms have skimped on improvements to the grid. >> people and what srs are very angry. power outages, water shortages, no relief from the heat. some burn rubbish in protest. at this ice cream parlor, his inventory has simply melted. >> the worst thing is i feel i have been abandoned. i pay my taxes, and i am up to date on everything, and still,

we have just been abandoned. i don't know who is to blame. >> it is a disaster many saw coming. high demand for air-conditioning during the heat wave has overburdened the aging power grid. the government is pointing the finger at the utility companies, saying they have not invested enough in rating their facilities, but the mayor of when osiris -- the mayor of buenos aires disagrees. >> we have said it not just once but for almost a decade. this is simply the result of bad policies. >> the government is threatening to nationalize energy providers. last year, it took over the argentinian subsidiary of a spanish oil giant, but such measures are unlikely to improve conditions. people help themselves and each other delivering water by hand when the electric umps fail. >> a train carrying crude oil

has derailed the north dakota, leaving authorities to call on residents to evacuate the area. >> several wagons exploded after the derailment, but no injuries were reported. officials said the wind could blow smoke from the blaze over the town of castleton, and they told people to leave the area as a precaution. >> alright, after the break, it is that time of year. we are going to take a look back at some of the biggest events of 2013. >> first, let's take a look at one thing that did not happen. that's another big blow up in the eurozone crisis. in fact, it is possible we will be looking back one day on 2013 as the year that the currency zone stabilized. >> the crisis is far from over. for millions of people who are out of work in countries like greece and spain, but the currency itself has actually strengthened in value over the past year.

>> this imposing skyscraper and frankfurt's west end district is to become headquarters of the european central bank next year. the european common currency also seems to be reaching for the sky. the gains it made against the u.s. dollar surprised many analysts. at the beginning of 2013, it stood at $1.33, but now it is hovering at around dollar spent -- $1.38. the euro has been helped by the eurozone's improving economy. banks have boosted their capital reserves. ireland has already exited the international bailout program. the ecb has relied less on monetary stimulus and the u.s. federal reserve and the bank of japan, and that strengthens the euro against the dollar and the yen. >> we are going to take a quick break now, but we are back with a look back at some of the big events of 2013 and one of the faces that we will remember --

that is that of edward snowden. >> and 70 people in the arctic are gearing up to celebrate their own new year's. we will tell you about the latest land to rescue them. stay with us. stay with us. >> welcome back. new year's celebrations are already under way for millions of people in the pacific. partygoers on the islands of samoa were the first to ring in 2014. >> about an hour ago, australia joined in the fun. people in sydney started the new year in style with an incredible fireworks display at the sydney harbour bridge.

not bad. >> that looks incredible. >> in berlin, there are about eight hours and 40 minutes -- not that we are counting -- to go until the clocks strike midnight. >> big crowds are expected to join the public party at the brandenburg gate in the center of the city, and you could watch live right here on dw. >> another german new year's tradition is an address to the nation by the chancellor. in fact, it is becoming a tradition. >> after winning her third electoral victory, angela merkel has recorded the ninth new year's address of her career. >> this is the chancellery in berlin. and this is the woman who has been in charge for the past eight years. her new year's address looks both forward and back. >> out of the headlines, many things, both encouraging and disappointing, have happened in our personal lives. >> 2013 has been another

successful year for merkel. in september, she was elected german chancellor for a third term. her new year's address focuses this year on domestic issues, but it also underlines her commitment to and her enthusiasm for the european project. >> this coming may, some 300 75 million citize please stand by please stand by second world war, and 25 years after the all of the berlin wall, the beginning of the end of the division of germany and europe. >> the chancellor called on everyone in germany to pull together and to get involved. she says politics can achieve little without the involvement of the people. >> you can see angela merkel's

address in full in the addition of the "journal" coming out at 1900 hrs utc, but as the new year comes closer, let's take a look back at some of the big moments of 2013. >> there was a devastating typhoon in the philippines. the syria conflicts continued to rage. nelson mandela, founder of the rainbow nation, died, and benedict xvi became the first pope in hundreds of years to resign. our report begins with his successor. >> on the 13th of march, 2013, catholics around the world welcome jorge mario berg olio as their new pope. he chose the name francis in honor of saint francis of a cc -- st. francis of asisi.

his devotion has inspired in november, filipinos asked a world for help. one of the largest typhoons on the record struck her country, destroying everything in its path. it was one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory. 5 million people lost their homes. 10,000 people died on one island alone. the global community rose to the challenge. by christmas, most people hit by the storm had a new roof over their heads. some managed to improvise a little christmas cheer. in august, video of a chemical weapons attack shocked the world -- a nerve gas attack on a suburb of damascus killed dozens of innocent civilians. friends and relatives data to identify their loved ones. the attack rallied international support or a chemical weapons ban in syria. bashar al-assad's government

caved in to government pressure. they agreed to surrender a weapons stockpile. nelson mandela died on december the -- december 5. in 1994, he became south africa's first democrat tickly elected president. nelson mandela is credited with taking south africa out of apartheid and into the 21st entry. -- in 1994, he became south africa's first democratically elected president. nelson mandela is credited with taking south africa out of apartheid and into the 21st century. bayern players are not letting success go to their heads and are keen to remain dominant in 2014. >> one man we did not see in that report, but who will certainly be remembered as one

of the key figures of 2013 is edward snowden. >> a year ago, none of us had heard of him, but now, the former u.s. intelligence contractor has become a hero to some, a villain to others. wherever you stand, there is no denying the impact of these revelations. >> our story of the year tells the impact of the man who said no to mass surveillance. >> edward snowden became one of the most well-known faces of 2013 by leaking classified material. he unmasked surveillance by u.s. and british secret services. he told big world about the u.s. prism data mining program. >> recently, we learned that our governments, working in concert, have created a system of worldwide mass surveillance, watching everything we do. >> snowden was part of that system. as a computer expert and contracted to the u.s. national security agency, he says his

criticism well on the years -- on deaf ears. >> over time, that awareness of wrongdoing builds up, and you feel compelled to talk about it, and the more you talk about it, the more you are ignored. >> snowden did see it as a problem and decided to go public. >> edward snowden has done us a very great service. we must be grateful to him. the issue is the right to privacy and the individual's right to control the dissemination of personal information. >> a german green party lawmaker may be grateful. many other politicians are not. in october, he visited snowden in moscow, where he has been given asylum by the russian government. >> he indicated that he knows a lot more about the documents that have been in his possession, though he no longer has them, and that he could say a lot about them. he has an endless supply of knowledge that should be available to us as we shed light

on these matters, because we cannot expect any help from the nsa. >> the bugging of german chancellor angela merkel's cell phone, the existence of a secret listening post at the u.s. embassy in berlin, the collecting of metadata on billions of calls, and the extensive mining of the internet for data -- snowden was behind those revelations and more. >> people all over the world are realizing that these programs do not make us more safe. they hurt our economy. they hurt our country. they limit our ability to speak and think and live and be creative. >> edward snowden has changed the debate on government snooping. the extent to which governments actually control their security agencies and thighs, and the value of privacy. snowden has galvanized many

citizens around the world into questioning authority and demanding their rights. >> passengers on a ship trapped in the antarctic are hoping that the new year will bring successful rescue off their eyes-trapped vessel. >> they have been waiting for weather conditions to improve, and once they do, the rescue by helicopter could come at any moment. >> in the meantime, the group has been doing its part to help with the mission. >> new year's preparations with a difference -- the 74 passengers and crew stop on ice and snow to create a helipad next to their trapped ship. they had hoped to be rescued by an australian ship. it was the third icebreaker center free those aboard the ship, but it failed like those before it, coming within 20 kilometers of the russian vessel before fierce winds and snow forced it to retreat.

>> it is the 31st of december at 3:00 p.m. were hoping the chinese helicopter can reach us when the weather improves. >> those aboard the academic have been trapped for eight days after the sheets of ice driven by strong winds surrounded it. morale still seems to be high with some passengers calling it an adventure of a lifetime. the plan is for all 52 passengers to be evacuated by helicopter from the nearby chinese icebreaker. it recently flew over the vessel to assess the situation. for now, though, nothing is certain. the weather remains to bleak for the helicopter to land. >> alright, as we saw earlier, new year's celebrations are under a for millions of people. partygoers in the islands in the

east pacific were the first to ring in 2014. >> let's take another look at some more of the very first images of 2014, starting with auckland in new zealand and some more of those celebrations in australia. >> 4, 3, 2, 1!

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tothe year 2014 has come dubai. the latest country celebrating the new year. look at these live pictures coming just now. they are going for a record- breaking 400 rows and fireworks. 400,000 fireworks. the last record was